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President to Visit Border Wall Prototypes

When President Trump visits California, one of his stops will be in San Diego, where he will view prototypes for his proposed border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Conan Nolan reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 12, 2018. (Published Monday, March 12, 2018)

President Donald Trump will travel to California Tuesday for his first visit since taking office and days after his administration filed a lawsuit against the state.

The president will spend part of his time at the U.S.-Mexico border in Otay Mesa inspecting designs for his proposed border wall, and law enforcement officials are expecting protesters to show up the visit.

While many San Diegans were reluctant to share their feelings in our country’s ultra-polarized landscape, two San Diegans voiced their opinions about the president, the wall and the U.S. attorney general’s lawsuit against our state.

Andy Bleichwehl said he doesn’t support the wall. “I personally don't think a wall is what we need, but if that's what he's doing, I gotta support the president. He is the president,” he told NBC 7. But he added, "did the Berlin Wall work? They tore it down. So, why are we trying to reinvent the wheel? We know what it does and what it doesn't do.”

Troy Maddry is a proponent, saying, “What I am hoping for is that he will choose [a border wall prototype] and we can start construction on that. I want our state and our country to be safe and I want people to come here legally.”

Maddry said he has four young children and he worries about their future.

“To me it shows that it is still moving forward,” he said of the president coming to survey wall prototypes built last fall. “That was a big issue for us. So the fact that the prototypes are being built and he's looking at them and seeing what will work, I support that.”

Although the president’s visit is scheduled as a quick overnight trip, the last time he was in the state was as a candidate. There were a lot of protests, (including thousands who protested when he was in San Diego) and the possibility of more unrest is a concern for some, including Bleichwehl.

“I can certainly see a lot of negativity,” he said. “We are right on the border. We have a high … Mexican population in San Diego. We are very multicultural.”

Trump’s visit also comes just a week after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a lawsuit against California, asserting state leaders are defying federal law and hindering Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their job.